5 Biggest “Don’ts” When Choosing an Exterior Color

House painting risks and rewards

Over the years, hundreds of homeowners have asked us for advice when it comes to selecting a color for their home’s exterior. And since the right color combination for any home depends upon a variety of factors – like architectural style, location, and personal taste – we thought we’d compile our expert’s list of what not to do. Here goes:

1) Don’t feel bound by tradition.

If you have an older home, feel free to honor the past with an historically accurate color scheme. But don’t be afraid to upend tradition with exciting results – like using a bold blue or bubblegum pink to dramatize architectural details. Savvy homeowners in trendy (and even not-so-trendy) neighborhoods know that skillful color usage can disguise design flaws and even boost the overall curb appeal of their home.

2) Don’t ignore your neighbors.

Strategic color usage can add curb appeal and value (see #1 above), but not if your house becomes the laughingstock of the neighborhood. A good rule of thumb? Choose colors that set your house apart, without clashing with nearby buildings. Likewise, let the house next door give you paint color ideas, but don’t copy your neighbor exactly.

3) Don’t work against your home’s existing assets.

Every home has some features that won’t be painted, like brick walls, vinyl windows or a natural wooden door. That said, choose a color scheme that harmonizes with colors already present on your house.

4) Don’t mess with the laws of physics.

For those of you who missed it in high school science class, Michel Eugene Chevreul invented a 72-part color circle that essentially maps how the brain interprets color. Taken together with theories on perspective developed by Leonardo DaVinci, Chevreul’s work determined that dark colors seem to shrink objects, while light colors seem to expand them. The lesson for homeowners? To make your house seem bigger, stick with lighter exterior hues.

5) Don’t forget: Less is more.

Even on the most ornate of gingerbread Victorians, using too many colors in your exterior palette can totally overwhelm your house (along with anyone passing by). Strike a balance by sticking to no more than 3 or 4 complementary shades.

Customer Comments

“I recently used Coastline Painters to paint the interior and exterior of a newly-built accessory building on our property. The interior of the structure has a good amount of wood detail. I thought Coastline did a fantastic job not only with the painting but with all the prepping and staining of the wood. Dave, the owner, did several samples of paint and stain for me until I was satisfied with my color choices. His guys were always on-time and polite and were extremely accommodating if I pointed out any little detail that wasn’t to my liking. They never made me feel that I was too demanding. I believe they have a lot of pride in their work, and want their customers to be satisfied in the end. I plan on using their services in the future when it’s time to repaint our house.”

— Lillian G., Woodbridge, CT

“Coastline Painters are wonderful! They stick to the schedule, their work is fantastic, and they are neat and clean. I will call them again.”

— Helen R., Guilford, CT

“Beautiful work, great customer service!”

— Barbara J., Guilford, CT

“I am so pleased with my home! Coastline Painters does beautiful work and they are a pleasure to deal with. The work was done on time. They show up when they are supposed to, and they’re very professional.”

— Matt and Susan B., Madison, CT

“We were truly delighted with the painting job Coastline did for us in our home on River Street. The two painters were on time, professional, polite and very protective of our furniture and household articles; and they did a great job. I will call Coastline anytime I need painting done and I highly recommend them to others.”

— Ellie Leffingwell, Guilford, CT

Excellent service, high quality work!

— Ford Gurall, Branford, CT

We’ve been a customer of Coastline Painters LLC for years,we’ve used their services for indoor and outdoor painting. Their work is excellent and their team is very reliable. We’ve always been happy with the results. We would recommend Coastline for all your painting needs!

The guys did another great job for us; we are pleased. While I thanked Lewis and Serafin, I didn’t get the opportunity to thank Chris and Mossub? – please be sure to reinforce to them that we are very pleased – with their fine painting, attention to details, their pleasant and polite ways, and their hard work.